Humidification device for fuel cell and use method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a humidifying device for a fuel cell and a use method of the humidifying device, and belongs to the technical field of fuel cells. The humidification device for the fuel cell comprises a dual humidification system, the dual humidification system comprises a primary humidification device and a secondary humidification device, and primary humidification gas output by the primary humidification device is further humidified by the secondary humidification device and then discharged out of the dual humidification system. According to the humidification device for the fuel cell, a dual humidification system is formed by adopting a method of combining ultrasonic humidification with membrane humidification, the ultrasonic humidification device is used for providing high-capacity moisture for gas use, and the membrane humidification device is responsible for accurately adjusting the humidification effect under a relatively stable condition.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of fuel cell, in particular to a humidification device for fuel cell and a method for using the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] Proper gas humidity is essential for the performance and stable operation of fuel cells, and both too high or too low humidity can lead to problems such as reduced cell efficiency, corrosion, and gas diffusion difficulties, so gas humidification methods and devices are currently a focus of fuel cell research.

[0003] Traditional humidification methods include evaporation humidification, membrane humidification, ultrasonic humidification, etc. Evaporation humidification increases humidity by heating water and converting it into water vapor, which is simple to design and implement, but has the disadvantages of requiring an additional heating system for gas evaporation, difficulty in accurately controlling humidity, and usually producing humidity in local areas, making it difficult to achieve uniform distribution of humidity throughout the space. Membrane humidification is a method of transferring moisture to the gas stream using a wet membrane, which is used to maintain the humidity in the gas and has high control accuracy within a given range, but the membrane humidification device is affected by the characteristics of the membrane itself, making it difficult to raise the gas to a higher humidity, especially under low humidity conditions. To achieve the same humidity, compared to some other humidification technologies, the wet membrane humidification device may be relatively large, which may not be suitable for some space-limited or weight-sensitive applications. Ultrasonic humidification technology is a method of transferring humidity to the gas by atomizing liquid water into tiny droplets through ultrasonic vibration, which has the advantages of being able to achieve large capacity of humidity and not being affected by humidity, but has the disadvantage of uneven humidity distribution due to the implementation principle.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new humidification device for fuel cells. SUMMARY

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a humidification device for fuel cells and a method for using the same.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A humidification device for fuel cells, comprising a double humidification system, the double humidification system comprising a primary humidification device and a secondary humidification device, the primary humidification device outputting a primary humidified gas which is further humidified by the secondary humidification device before being discharged from the double humidification system.

[0008] Among them, the primary humidification device is an ultrasonic humidification device, and the secondary humidification device is a membrane humidification device.

[0009] The ultrasonic humidifying device comprises a gas cavity, an ultrasonic atomizer, a nozzle and a first water pump, the ultrasonic atomizer and the nozzle are located in the gas cavity, the ultrasonic atomizer vibrates to form tiny water droplets, the tiny water droplets are sprayed into the gas cavity through the nozzle, the tiny water droplets form primary humidified gas in the gas cavity, and the first water pump is connected with the ultrasonic atomizer and used to supply water to the ultrasonic atomizer.

[0010] The water level sensor is further arranged in the gas cavity.

[0011] The membrane humidifying device comprises a water membrane, a membrane humidifying cavity and a second water pump, the membrane humidifying cavity is communicated with the gas cavity, the water membrane is arranged in the membrane humidifying cavity, and the second water pump is communicated with the water membrane.

[0012] The double humidifying system further comprises a water tank, the water tank is connected with the ultrasonic atomizer through the first water pump, and the water tank is communicated with the water membrane through the second water pump.

[0013] The humidifying device for the fuel cell further comprises an intelligent auxiliary control system, the intelligent auxiliary control system is electrically connected or communicatively connected with the primary humidifying device and the secondary humidifying device, and the intelligent auxiliary control system adjusts the humidity output of the primary humidifying device and the secondary humidifying device by monitoring the humidity of the fuel cell.

[0014] The intelligent auxiliary control system comprises a humidity sensor, a humidity control unit, a water pump system control unit and a display setting unit, the humidity sensor is arranged in the ultrasonic humidifying device and the membrane humidifying device, the humidity sensor is used to monitor the humidity change, and real-time data of the humidity is fed back to the humidity control unit through a signal; the humidity control unit is used to dynamically allocate the working states of the ultrasonic humidifying device and the membrane humidifying device to realize humidity adjustment according to the feedback of the humidity sensor, the water pump system control unit starts or stops the water pump system of the ultrasonic humidifying device and the membrane humidifying device to meet the water level requirement of the membrane humidifying device, and the display setting unit is used to display the current humidity.

[0015] The humidity sensor comprises an environment humidity sensor and a membrane humidity sensor, the environment humidity sensor is located in the gas cavity, the environment humidity sensor is used to detect the humidity of the gas to be humidified, and whether the ultrasonic atomizer is started is determined according to the detection result; and the membrane humidity sensor is used to detect the humidity of the primary humidified gas, and the humidity of the water membrane is controlled according to the detection result.

[0016] The humidity control unit is connected with the ultrasonic humidifying device and the membrane humidifying device, the humidity control unit controls the starting of the ultrasonic humidifying device and the humidity output of the water film of the membrane humidifying device.

[0017] The water pump system control unit is connected with the first water pump and the second water pump, the water pump control unit controls the first water pump to deliver the required water amount to the ultrasonic atomizer, and the water pump control unit controls the water delivery amount of the second water pump according to the feedback of the humidity control unit.

[0018] The use method of the humidifying device for fuel cells comprises the following steps:

[0019] S1: starting the system and setting the humidity value; the intelligent auxiliary control system receives the real-time humidity data fed back by the environment humidity sensor.

[0020] S2: the intelligent auxiliary control system compares the set humidity value according to the real-time humidity data and decides the working state of the system:

[0021] If the humidity is lower than the set value in S1, the intelligent auxiliary control system starts the ultrasonic humidifying device to release the humidity; the intelligent auxiliary control system monitors the humidity sensor feedback of the membrane humidifying device to adjust the humidity output of the water film, and realizes the humidity adjustment through the water pump of the membrane humidifying device;

[0022] If the humidity is significantly higher than the set value in S1, the intelligent auxiliary control system correspondingly reduces the working state of the ultrasonic atomizer to reduce the humidity release to avoid the humidity exceeding the set value;

[0023] S3: the intelligent auxiliary control system receives the shutdown instruction or the water tank water level sensor is lower than the system working value, the humidifying device is shut down, and the shutdown information is displayed on the monitoring system.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0025] (1) The humidifying device for fuel cells adopts the method of ultrasonic humidification combined with membrane humidification, forms a double humidification system, the ultrasonic humidifying device is used to provide a large amount of humidity for gas use, and the membrane humidifying device is responsible for providing accurate adjustment of the humidification effect under relatively stable conditions.

[0026] (2) The humidifying device for fuel cells adopts a water tank to supply water to the ultrasonic humidifying device and the membrane humidifying device, which reduces the volume of the whole humidifying device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the humidifying device for fuel cells.

[0028] Figure 2 Flowchart of the method for using the humidifying device for fuel cell of the present application.

[0029] Wherein, the reference signs are: 100-ultrasonic humidifying device, 101-ultrasonic atomizer, 102-first water pump, 103-nozzle, 104-gas cavity, 105-water tank, 106-water level sensor, 107-environmental humidity sensor, 200-membrane humidifying device, 201-membrane humidity sensor, 202-water film, 203-membrane humidifying cavity, 204-second water pump, 300-intelligent auxiliary control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the object, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in details below in combination with the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are only used to explain the present application and not used to limit the present application. In addition, the technical features involved in each embodiment of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0031] Referring to Figure 1 The present application provides a humidifying device for fuel cell, which comprises a double humidifying system, the double humidifying system comprises a primary humidifying device and a secondary humidifying device, the primary humidifying gas output by the primary humidifying device is further humidified by the secondary humidifying device and then discharged from the double humidifying system.

[0032] Preferably, the primary humidifying device is an ultrasonic humidifying device 100, and the secondary humidifying device is a membrane humidifying device 200. The ultrasonic humidifying device 100 and the membrane humidifying device 200 are connected by a pipeline, and the humidifying circuit of the gas is from the inlet of the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 to the outlet of the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 to the inlet of the membrane humidifying device 200, and then from the outlet of the membrane humidifying device 200.

[0033] Wherein, the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 comprises a gas cavity 104, an ultrasonic atomizer 101, a nozzle 103 and a first water pump 102, the ultrasonic atomizer 101 and the nozzle 103 are both located in the gas cavity 104, the ultrasonic atomizer 101 vibrates by ultrasonic wave to form tiny water droplets, the tiny water droplets are sprayed into the gas cavity 104 through the nozzle 103, the tiny water droplets form a primary humidifying gas in the gas cavity 104, and the first water pump 102 is connected with the ultrasonic atomizer 101 for supplying water to the ultrasonic atomizer 101.

[0034] Further, a water level sensor 106 is arranged in the gas cavity 104 to detect the water level in the ultrasonic atomizer 101.

[0035] The film humidifying device 200 comprises a water film 202, a film humidifying cavity 203 and a second water pump 204, the film humidifying cavity 203 is communicated with the gas cavity 104, the water film 202 is arranged in the film humidifying cavity 203, and the second water pump 204 is communicated with the water film 202.

[0036] More preferably, in order to increase the compactness of the system, the double humidifying system further comprises a water tank 105, the water tank 105 is connected with the ultrasonic atomizer 101 through the first water pump 102, and the water tank 105 is communicated with the water film 202 through the second water pump 204.

[0037] More preferably, the humidifying device for the fuel cell further comprises an intelligent auxiliary control system 300, the intelligent auxiliary control system 300 is electrically connected or communicatively connected with the primary humidifying device and the secondary humidifying device, and the intelligent auxiliary control system 300 adjusts the humidity output of the primary humidifying device and the secondary humidifying device by monitoring the humidity of the fuel cell.

[0038] The intelligent auxiliary control system 300 comprises a humidity sensor, a humidity control unit, a water pump system control unit and a display setting unit, the humidity sensor is arranged in the interior of the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 and the film humidifying device 200, the humidity sensor is used for monitoring the humidity change, and the real-time data of the humidity is fed back to the humidity control unit through a signal; the humidity control unit is used for dynamically distributing the working states of the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 and the film humidifying device 200 to realize the humidity adjustment according to the feedback of the humidity sensor, the water pump system control unit starts and stops the water pump system of the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 and the film humidifying device 200 to meet the water level requirement of the film humidifying device, and the display setting unit is used for displaying the current humidity.

[0039] The humidity sensor includes an ambient humidity sensor 107 and a film humidity sensor 201. The ambient humidity sensor 107 is located in the gas cavity 104 and is used to detect the humidity of the gas that needs to be humidified. The ambient humidity sensor 107 is used to determine whether to start the ultrasonic atomizer 101 according to the detection result. The film humidity sensor 201 is used to detect the humidity of the primary humidified gas. The film humidity sensor 201 is used to control the humidity of the water film 202 according to the detection result. Preferably, the ambient humidity sensor 107 is installed at the inlet of the gas cavity 104 and is used to feed back the humidity information of the gas to be humidified. The primary humidified gas humidified by the ultrasonic humidification device enters the water film 202 through the pipeline. The water supply and water pumping of the second water pump 204 are controlled according to the comparison between the actual humidity fed back by the film humidity sensor 201 and the set humidity, so as to control the humidity of the water film 202 and accurately control the humidity of the output gas.

[0040] Specifically, the humidity control unit is connected with the ultrasonic humidification device 100 and the film humidification device 200. The humidity control unit controls the start of the ultrasonic humidification device 100 and the humidity output of the water film 202 of the film humidification device 200.

[0041] The water pump system control unit is connected with the first water pump 102 and the second water pump 204. The water pump control unit controls the first water pump 102 to deliver the required water amount to the ultrasonic atomizer 101. The water pump control unit controls the water delivery amount of the second water pump 204 according to the feedback of the humidity control unit.

[0042] Referring to Figure 2 The use method of the humidification device for the fuel cell includes the following steps:

[0043] S1: Start the system and set the humidity value. The intelligent auxiliary control system 300 receives the real-time humidity data fed back by the ambient humidity sensor 107.

[0044] S2: The intelligent auxiliary control system 300 compares the set humidity value according to the real-time humidity data and determines the working state of the system:

[0045] If the humidity is lower than the set value in S1, the intelligent auxiliary control system 300 starts the ultrasonic humidification device 100 to release moisture. The intelligent auxiliary control system 300 monitors the feedback of the film humidity sensor 201 of the film humidification device 200 and adjusts the humidity output of the water film 202. The humidity adjustment is realized through the second water pump 204 of the film humidification device 200.

[0046] If the humidity is significantly higher than the S1 set value, the humidifying device can be debugged according to the actual system, and the intelligent auxiliary control system 300 reduces the working state of the ultrasonic atomizer 101 accordingly, reduces the humidity release to avoid the humidity exceeding the set value; at the same time, the intelligent auxiliary control system 300 monitors the feedback of the membrane humidity sensor 201 of the membrane humidifying device 200, adjusts the humidity output of the water film 202, and realizes high-precision humidity adjustment through the water supply and drainage of the second water pump 204.

[0047] S3: The intelligent auxiliary control system 300 receives a shutdown instruction or the water level sensor 106 is lower than the system working value, the humidifying device is shut down, and the shutdown information is displayed on the monitoring system.

[0048] The step S1 specifically comprises:

[0049] S1-1 start-up stage: the ultrasonic humidifying device 100 is powered on;

[0050] S1-2 ultrasonic atomizer 101 working:

[0051] The intelligent auxiliary control system 300 feeds back the difference between the humidity set value in step S1 and the environmental humidity sensor 107, and then converts it into an electrical signal of different intensities and transmits it to the ultrasonic atomizer 101. The conversion method can adopt PI (proportional integral method) or look-up table and other methods. Since this method is common, it will not be described in detail. The ultrasonic atomizer 101 vibrates to produce tiny water droplets according to the electrical signal and transmits them to the nozzle 103 for spraying.

[0052] S1-3 water pump system working:

[0053] According to the feedback of the water level sensor 106, the first water pump 102 adjusts the water supply rate to ensure that the water level of the ultrasonic atomizer 101 remains stable.

[0054] S1-4 membrane humidifying device working:

[0055] According to the feedback of the membrane humidity sensor 201 of the membrane humidifying device 200, the second water pump 204 in the membrane humidifying device 200 adjusts the water supply rate and the rotation direction to ensure the dryness and wetness of the water film 202 to meet the humidity requirements of the final outlet gas.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0057] The portions of the present application specification not described in detail are provided for the purpose of illustration and not limitation. The scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims. Various equivalents substitutions and modifications, not described above, are encompassed by the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A humidification device for a fuel cell, characterized in that, The humidification device for the fuel cell includes a dual humidification system, which includes a primary humidification device and a secondary humidification device. The primary humidified gas output from the primary humidification device is further humidified by the secondary humidification device before being discharged from the dual humidification system.

2. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The primary humidification device is an ultrasonic humidification device, and the secondary humidification device is a membrane humidification device.

3. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ultrasonic humidification device includes a gas chamber, an ultrasonic atomizer, a nozzle, and a first water pump. The ultrasonic atomizer and the nozzle are both located in the gas chamber. The ultrasonic atomizer atomizes water into tiny water droplets through ultrasonic vibration. The tiny water droplets are sprayed into the gas chamber through the nozzle. The tiny water droplets form a primary humidifying gas in the gas chamber. The first water pump is connected to the ultrasonic atomizer and is used to supply water to the ultrasonic atomizer.

4. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 3, characterized in that, A water level sensor is also installed in the gas chamber.

5. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The membrane humidification device includes a water membrane, a membrane humidification chamber, and a second water pump. The membrane humidification chamber is connected to the gas chamber, the water membrane is placed in the membrane humidification chamber, and the second water pump is connected to the water membrane.

6. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 5, characterized in that, The dual humidification system also includes a water tank, which is connected to the ultrasonic atomizer via the first water pump, and the water tank is connected to the water film via the second water pump.

7. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 6, characterized in that, The humidification device for the fuel cell also includes an intelligent auxiliary control system, which is electrically or communicatively connected to the primary humidification device and the secondary humidification device. The intelligent auxiliary control system adjusts the humidity output of the primary humidification device and the secondary humidification device by monitoring the humidity of the fuel cell. The intelligent auxiliary control system includes a humidity sensor, a humidity control unit, a water pump system control unit, and a display setting unit. The humidity sensor is arranged inside the ultrasonic humidifier and the membrane humidifier. The humidity sensor is used to monitor humidity changes and feed back the real-time humidity data to the humidity control unit via a signal. The humidity control unit is used to dynamically allocate the working status of the ultrasonic humidifier and the membrane humidifier to achieve humidity regulation based on the feedback from the humidity sensor. The water pump system control unit starts and stops the water pump system of the ultrasonic humidifier and the membrane humidifier to meet the water level requirements of the membrane humidifier. The display setting unit is used to display the current humidity.

8. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 7, characterized in that, The humidity sensor includes an ambient humidity sensor and a membrane humidity sensor. The ambient humidity sensor is located in the gas cavity and is used to detect the humidity of the gas that needs to be humidified. Based on the detection result, it determines whether to activate the ultrasonic atomizer. The membrane humidity sensor is used to detect the humidity of the gas that needs to be humidified and controls the humidity of the water film based on the detection result.

9. The humidification device for a fuel cell according to claim 7, characterized in that, The humidity control unit is connected to the ultrasonic humidifier and the membrane humidifier. The humidity control unit controls the start-up of the ultrasonic humidifier and the humidity output of the water membrane of the membrane humidifier. The water pump system control unit is connected to the first water pump and the second water pump. The water pump control unit controls the first water pump to deliver the required amount of water to the ultrasonic atomizer. The water pump control unit controls the water delivery amount of the second water pump based on the feedback from the humidity control unit.

10. A method of using the humidification device for a fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Start the system and set the humidity value; the intelligent auxiliary control system receives real-time humidity data from the ambient humidity sensor; S2: The intelligent auxiliary control system compares the set humidity value with real-time humidity data to determine the system's operating status. If the humidity is lower than the S1 set value, the intelligent auxiliary control system activates the ultrasonic humidification device to release moisture; the intelligent auxiliary control system monitors the feedback from the humidity sensor of the membrane humidification device, adjusts the humidity output of the water film, and achieves humidity regulation through the water pump of the membrane humidification device; If the humidity is significantly higher than the S1 set value, the intelligent auxiliary control system will reduce the working state of the ultrasonic atomizer accordingly to reduce moisture release and prevent the humidity from exceeding the set value. S3: When the intelligent auxiliary control system receives a shutdown command or the water level sensor in the water tank is lower than the system's operating value, the humidifier shuts down and displays the shutdown information on the monitoring system.

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